Stirrup device for physician&#39;s examining table or the like



Dec. 3, 1940. FROELICHV r 2,223,784

STIRRUP DEVICE FOR PHYSICIANS EXAMINING TABLE OR THE LIKE Filed Oct. 5, 19:58 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 frzz/erzi or Geo/ye ZFweZz'c/L Dec. 3, 1940. E FROELICH 2.223384 5 EXAMINING TABLE OR THE LIKE i Filed Oct. 3, 1938 STIRRUP' DEVICE FOR PHYSICIAN 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Geozye ZflweZ'z'c /i I (7 2y Q W Patented Dec. 3, 1940 r 2,223,784

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STIRRUP DEVICE FOR PHYSICIANS EXAltflNIN G TABLE ORTHE LIKE George-E. Froelich, Two Rivers, -Wis., assignor to Hamilton Manufacturing Company, .Two Rivers, Wis, a corporation of Wisconsin Application October 3, 1938, Serial No. 232,980

2 Claims. (01. 311-11 o This invention relates to a stirrup device for is concealedunder'the-rest member 12 when the physicians examining table or the like, and parstirrup device is not in use and the rest member ticularly aims to provide a so-called disappearing is moved-to lowermost position'parallel with the stirrup in which the stirrup is normally concealed table 'top I4, which would normally be the case 5 within the table when not in use. when the examining table is not in use. For this 5 The modern trend of furnishings for physipurpose the rest member 12 has a recess IS on its cians offices andthe like aim to subordinate the under side which receives the stirrup together mechanical devices of the furniture and other with the upper or pivot end I! of the stirrup rod equipment so as to render them as inconspicuous i8. As clearly shownii'r-the drawings, stirrup rod as possible, and give the examining room as far "i8 is enlarged at its upper end. and is bent into 10 as feasiblethe appearance of a consulting office. somewhat goose-neck form terminating in the The present invention deals with a structure of "pivot portion I 'l'to which the stirrup proper I5 is the class described with the aim just referred to hin ed as a 9 to' eveed moveme t o the in view, and contemplates simple and economical pivot portion, toward and from the table II], as

means for accomplishing the desired result, while byreason of the shoulders and 2| respectively 15 affording ready accessibility and ease of operaof the stirrupshank 22 abutting the pivot portion of the device. tion H whenthe stirrupis swung to extreme out- The invention will be readily understood by refward and inner positions respectively, that is, erence to. the accompanying drawings forming a either to dotted line position as shown in Fig. 1a

, 20 part of this specification, in which--- to receive andbrace the foot of the patient, or to 20 Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a corner full l position s Shown in 1a to b 0011- of the table with the device mounted thereon eeeled Within the table p- AS e t S own in With the latter in inoperative position; Fig, 3, the rest member l-Z also desirably some- Figure 1a is a view on somewhat larger scale Whateverhangs the f t d 26 of the t ble. similar to Fig. 1, but showing the rest member of The Stirrup iS Carried by a pa r o re e- 25 the table, raised exposing the stirrup to View, and, tively telescoping members 23 and O e Of by dotted lines, the movement of the stirrup to Which, in t s instance the member 24, is fixed operative position; within the table and the other 23, to which the Figure 2 isa still further enlarged fragmentary stlrrllp s attac ed, being movable inwardly nd plan section taken 0111311911119 2 2 of Fig, 1a,; outwardly Of the table on the member 24 from 30 Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on the line full line Position as Shown in 1 t0 dotted 3-3 of Fig, 101,, b t th th t member shown line position as shown in Fig. la and intermediate in lowermost position concealing the stirrup; and positionsy clamping and-screw 25 the stir- Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical section taken r111) d is ay e d d Vertically in s here on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3 and looking outwardly 27 in the member 23 o suit d fierent heights 85 of th device to which it is desired to have the stirrup, in ad- Reierring in detail to the illustrative construcditien t0 the j st ib ty 0f t S p toward tion shown in the drawings, I0 is one corner of a and from the table y e t of the member physicians examining table or the like, it being understood that this is the corner adjacent the In this instance the member W ich is the 40 lower or foot end of the table, a similar corner at fixed members of the reletively te esc p ng memthe opposite side of said foot end being similarly 1061's 23 and is Conveniently made p Of a P constructed and each side carrying one of the of elongated Plates 8 p -W d d as at 29 to opstirrup devices indicated generally by the numeral posite faces of a bracket 30 Which has an angular I H, one for each feat of t patient being tail portion 3| fixedly secured as by screws 32 to 45 amined, it being necessary here to describe only the inner f of e table t e d B. The one of these devices plates 28 forming the member 24 are thus spaced The table ID, in accordance with conventional apart in parallel and are held Stationary, P jectconstruction, has two rest members 12 and I3 ing both w d y d ou d y o a p r u e hinged thereon to, move angular-1y toward and 33 in the table end 26, a space being left there- 50 from the table top H, these rest members being around sufficient so that the channel-shape memcovered with the usual padded upholstery of her 23 fits snugly over the member 24 while being leather or the like. slidable thereon through the aperture 33. The In accordance with the present invention, the channel-shape member 23 desirably has lips 34 stirrup [5 of the stirrup device I l disappears or which lap the loweredges of the plates 28 so as to 55 prevent relative angular movement of the telescoping members 23 and 24 while permitting the relative sliding movement referred to.

When the stirrup is withdrawn to dotted line position as shown in Fig. 1a, it is desirable to provide releasable means resisting accidental movement of the stirrup or movement under pressure of the foot of the patient, and the present invention contemplates a spring urged friction device for this purpose.

As here shown, the friction device 35 includes an elongated plate 36 somewhat similarly shaped to the plates 28 and pivotally held therebetween on a pivot pin 31. at 39 on the bracket 30 urges the serrated upper edge of the plate 36 into frictional engagement with the inner upper surface of the channel member 23, the teeth of this serrated edge being formed as shown with their sharper surface pointing inwardly so as to offer the greater resistance to outward movement of the channel member 23, it being understood that the latter is the direction in which pressure of the foot of the patient would tend to urge the stirrup and movement in which direction is therefore here normally resisted when the stirrup is in use.

To permit outward movement of the channel member 23 however, for adjustment of the stirrup outwardly, the plate 36 has a depending integral finger-piece 4| which passes through the slot between the lips 34 of the channel member 23 and is accessible at the exterior of the table. By pulling outwardly on the finger-piece 4| the teeth 40 of the friction device are moved away from contact with the member 23 against the force of the leaf spring 38 which, when the finger-piece is released, returns the teeth 40 to friction producing position.

To prevent wear on the outer margins of the aperture 33, these margins may be protected by a face plate 42 secured to the table end as by screws 43.

To avoid jar when the rest member I2 is moved to lowermost position and to provide a clearance ,in this position with the table top, the rest mem- A leaf spring 38 anchored asber desirably contacts rubber buttons 44 on the table top, and the normal concealed position of the stirrup, as best shown in Fig. 3, is such that the free end 45 of the stirrup is spaced from actual contact with the table top, thus avoiding wear on the latter.

The bracket 30 may be reinforced by fillet plate 46 spot-welded as at 41 to the respective angular portions of the bracket 30.

Such changes may be made as fall within the scope of the following claims without departing from the invention.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a structure of the class described, the combination with a table having a rest member pivoted thereon intermedially of the table top to have its free end movable toward and away from'the foot end of the table, of a stirrup disposed on said table top beneath but free of said rest member, and means independent of the rest member for mounting the stirrup on the table slidably toward and from said foot end, said stirrup being pivoted on said means to swing from a position parallel to said table top to a position perpendicular thereto, whereby the stirrup may be concealed under said rest member when the latter is parallel with the table top but may be moved upwardly and outwardly from the table top when the rest member is elevated.

2. In a structure of the class described, the combination with a table having a rest member horizontally pivoted thereon to have its free end movable toward and away from the foot end of the table and slightly overhanging said foot end when parallel to the table top, of a recess in the underside of said rest member at said free end, a vertical stirrup rod having an upper end of goose-neck formation received in said recess, a stirrup pivoted on said stirrup rod to lie in a horizontal plane within the recess, and means on the table top independent of the rest member for moving the stirrup and stirrup rod bodily outwardly when the rest member is elevated.

GEORGE E. FROELICH. 

